DPRK Top Leader Meets Visiting Chinese Official

Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with visiting senior Chinese official Zhou Yongkang in Pyongyang Monday. The DPRK’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) is “very satisfied” with the healthy development of DPRK-China relations under the current complicated international situation, Kim told Zhou, who is a member […]

Infiltration attempts have gone up in last 2 months: Army

Around 25 infiltration attempts have been made by militants from across the Line of Control (LoC) in the last two months and 35-40 terrorists have been killed by the security forces during the same period, Army Chief General V K Singh said. He said the number of infiltration attempts have gone up in the last […]

Afghan Prez Karzai confirms Taliban talks

President Hamid Karzai has confirmed he’s been in talks with the Taliban on securing peace in war-weary Afghanistan. Karzai told CNN in an interview to be broadcast Monday that “unofficial” discussions with Taliban representatives are continuing. “We have been talking to the Taliban as countryman to countryman,” said Karzai. “Not as a regular official contact […]

Bihar boat tragedy toll rises to 36

Fourteen more bodies were fished out from the river Ganga on Monday, taking the toll in the boat mishap to 36; even as a search was on to trace six other missing persons. Director General of Police Neelmani said in Patna that a National Disaster Response Force team and local divers fished out 14 more […]

Yeddyurappa wins trust vote

Amid scenes of pandemonium, Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa won a vote of confidence in the Assembly under a cloud after the Speaker disqualified 16 MLAs, including 11 of BJP, hours before the trial of strength. High drama marked the proceedings when Speaker K G Bopaiah declared the motion of confidence passed by a voice […]

Kyrgtzstan heads for coalition after historic polls

Kyrgyzstan was heading for a coalition govt on Monday with several parties neck-and-neck in legislative elections held under a new constitution after unrest this year that left hundreds dead. The pro-Moscow Ar-Namys party led by flamboyant former Prime Minister Felix Kulov proclaimed victory in the elections for first parliament with meaningful powers in ex-Soviet Central […]

Amid uproar, Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka wins trust vote in Assembly. Speaker K G Bopaiah announces in the House that the motion of confidence moved by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has been passed by voice vote

Karnataka Assembly Speaker disqualifies 16 rebel MLAs

Sixteen rebel MLAs, including eleven from ruling BJP, were disqualified by Karnataka Speaker ahead of the crucial trust vote in the Assembly on Monday. Speaker K G Bopaiah signed the disqualification order on Sunday night after firing a strong missive to Governor H R Bhardwaj contesting his directive to him not to change the configuration […]

President expresses concern over skewed sex ratio

Emphasising on the need for women empowerment, President Pratibha Patil on Sunday expressed concern over skewed sex ratio in states like Punjab, where this imbalance may lead to law and order problem. In Punjab, the male-female ratio is 1000:857 which is very low. There would not be enough girls for marriage, she said. The President was […]

China steps up security around Asiad host city

China has formed a “security firewall” around Guangzhou, host city of the 2010 Asian Games, by setting up over 130 police checkpoints on the roads and waterways. A total of 132 checkpoints, scattered in south China’s Guangdong Province and five neighbouring regions, are responsible for checking people, vehicles and articles to ensure the smooth running […]